


Something Good

by empressearwig



Series: The Bridgertons Play Hockey [5]
Category: Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Pen Pals, Pranks, Rule 63, Women's hockey, single parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-23 05:50:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18147917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressearwig/pseuds/empressearwig
Summary: When Eloise Bridgerton writes her first letter to Pippa Crane, she never expects to fall in love. (A Bridgertons Play Hockey AU.)





	Something Good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [torigates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/gifts).



> Happy early/belated birthday to torigates! When I told you I was going to write this for you, I didn't think it would actually take me years, but here we are. I hope that it was worth the wait.
> 
> Many thanks to sonni89 and tosca1390 for their feedback as I stepped ever so slightly outside of my box. Any remaining mistakes are my own.

_Three years earlier, First NWHL All-Star Game_

"Wasn't your brother supposed to be here by now?"

Pippa Crane nodded, her face grim behind her cage. She'd been counting on her brother to come, to finally prove to her family that what she was doing here in the NWHL mattered. Sure, George and Marina said all the right things about being proud of her and supporting her dream, but Pippa knew that everyone was really waiting for her to give up on hockey and to settle down to the rest of her life.

Pippa snorted. Because being married and having kids and doing everything their parents had wanted them to do was working out so well for George. If she didn't get a call telling her that a divorce was imminent soon, Pippa would eat her hockey stick. 

She would feel bad for her niece and nephew when it happened, but Pippa was a big believer that staying together for the sake of the kids was a mistake. She and George were proof of that.

She shook her head, clearing all that from her mind. She didn't have time to worry about her brother's marriage, or how she'd gotten her hopes up again that this time would support her. All that mattered was the game at hand. It might have been a dumb exhibition, but it was her dumb exhibition and everything she, and the rest of the league founders, had been trying to achieve for women's hockey for the longest time. 

These women had supported her through everything. She wouldn't let them down.

The call came to leave the ice after warm-ups. She skated back to the bench with her teammates and took her seat. 

There was a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head, to find the trainer looking down at her with a carefully masked expression on his face. "Crane," he said. "Come with me."

"What?" she said, stunned he would even ask. "No. The game is about to start."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I wouldn't pull you off the bench if it wasn't urgent."

Her teammates were all staring at her. Pippa stood up and gave them an exaggerated shrug and a thumbs up and followed the trainer back down the tunnel. Better to get whatever this was out of the way so that she could get back to what really mattered on the ice. 

She tugged her helmet off as they entered the locker room. "Now tell me what the big--"

Her voice trailed off. There was a police officer standing in front of her. Her mind raced; why would there be a police officer there, she hadn't broken any laws. She looked at the officer, and looked back at the team trainer. There was pity in his eyes and Pippa knew. 

"Philippa Crane?" the female officer asked.

"Pippa," she said. "Tell me."

"Can you confirm that you're the next of kin for George and Marina Crane, as well as their children Oliver and Amanda Crane?"

"Yes," Pippa said, and she braced herself to hear the words.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you that there was a car accident this morning. Your brother and his wife did not survive."

She'd known it was coming, but the blow still almost took her to her knees. "The kids?"

"The children are fine."

Pippa collapsed to the bench, her head in her hands. It was the best news she could have hoped for, but she didn't understand it. "How?"

"They were traveling in another vehicle that was behind your brother's." The officer checked her notes. "With a Posy Woodson?"

"Their neighbor," Pippa said. "She has kids near the twins age. They must have decided to come to the game as a group."

"I believe that's correct." The officer looked at her with a great deal of pity. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Pippa said automatically. "When can I see the children?"

"They're resting at Mrs. Woodson's home, with a social worker to accompany them. We can take you to them as soon as you're ready to leave."

Pippa looked up at the team trainer. He rested his hand on her shoulder. 

"We'll tell them, Pip. Don't worry about anything. Go be with your family. There'll be other games."

But Pippa knew there wouldn't be. Not for her.

***

_Present day_

Eloise Bridgerton was the worst best friend in the world.

There was probably a long German word for being jealous that your best friend was spending all her time with your brother after years of you wishing that they would date each other, and it would describe Eloise perfectly. She was happy for them, truly, but she hadn't realized how much she was used to being the center of Penelope's world until she wasn't anymore. It was an uncomfortable realization. 

But at least she had her business. And her...penpal.

It had started normally enough. Eloise was the member of the Bridgerton family who kept track of everyone else, no cousin or relation distant enough to not warrant a thoughtful card or note on their birthday or when there was a momentous life event. Her siblings made fun of her for it, but it didn't stop them from taking full advantage of the extensive online calendar with family occasions that she maintained. 

She'd found out about her distant cousin Marina's death in a car accident three years earlier, and had written a note to Marina's sister-in-law expressing her condolences. Somewhat to Eloise's surprise, the woman had written back. 

_Dear Eloise,_

_Thank you for your condolences on the loss of my brother and Marina. The car accident that claimed their lives was, obviously, unexpected. Still, I can only be grateful that their children were spared more than minor physical injuries. I suspect I do not yet know what other emotional scars they may carry._

_I must admit I was surprised to receive your note. It was my understanding that Marina did not have much to do with the Bridgerton side of her family. Were you close? If so, I am sure the children would be very happy to see you. We are rather thin on family on the ground up here in Buffalo and would welcome the connection._

_Sincerely,_

_Pippa Crane, PTA, BSPT_  
University at Buffalo  
Buffalo Beauts 

Of course Eloise had written back. She was too insatiably curious not to after the contents of the note. And from there, things had spiraled into a full blown correspondence. It was a rare week when they didn't exchange a letter or a card, but they'd never taken their correspondence digital. Eloise wasn't sure why, when so much of the rest of her life was conducted on her phone, but maybe that was it. It was nice to have this one thing that was completely separate, and if her heart sometimes raced when she checked the mail, it just meant that she needed to spend more time at the gym. 

And for three years, neither of them challenged the status quo. Then suddenly, a letter from Pippa changed everything. 

_Dear Eloise,_

_It's nearly the three-year anniversary of the first letter you wrote me, which also means that it's almost the third anniversary of George and Marina's deaths. Needless to say, it is a date that causes very mixed emotions. Your letters during these three years have meant the world to me, and have helped to keep me sane as I try to juggle work and school and being a single parent when I'd never planned on being a parent at all._

_I say all this knowing it's a form of emotional blackmail, but I'm afraid that I don't have any other choice. As you know, I'm going to be taking the exam for my sports certification soon and I just don't see a way to prepare for test, make my clinical hours, and not also kill Oliver and Amanda. I'd thought about sending them to camp this summer, but school doesn't let out for another month and honestly, I don't think our budget will stretch quite that far._

_Would you consider coming to spend the summer with us? You've said in the past that your job is very portable, and while I realizing that helping look after 10-year olds is no one's idea of a vacation, I'm hoping you'll consider it anyway. You could obviously spend whatever time you wanted with your brother and his family while you were here. I just really need another set of shoulders to help carry the weight._

_I'm really hoping that they can be yours. Please write soon, if this offer is totally repugnant to you, I will have to try to make alternate arrangements. Otherwise, I am very much hoping to see you in Buffalo come June._

_Hopefully yours,_

_Pippa_

_Pippa Crane, PTA, BSPT_  
University at Buffalo  
Buffalo Beauts 

To say that Eloise had been stunned was an understatement. She'd thought that Pippa had been as content with their arrangement as she was, though she'd been able to see in her letters, just how stressful Pippa's life was. But to just upend her life for someone she had never met?

Even her flexible conscience wasn't letting her get away with that lie. She did know Pippa. She knew the basics like her allergy to cats and that her favorite food was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She knew that Pippa missed playing hockey like she would miss a limb if it had been removed. She knew that Pippa had been mad at her brother when he died, and that Pippa couldn't forgive herself for it. She knew that she worried everyday about whether she was failing Oliver and Amanda, and how determined Pippa was to do the best she could for the kids because it was the only thing she had left to give her brother.

She knew so much about Pippa that made her feel so many things, and that scared Eloise senseless. Because if they met, if they came face to face, she would have to put a name on exactly what it was that she felt for Pippa. 

She was afraid it might be love.

***

"Oliver! Amanda! Get down here now, we're going to be late."

Pippa looked at her watch. Despite her most fervent wishes, the second hand kept ticking stubbornly forward. If a genie were to show up on her doorstep and offer her three wishes, Pippa was pretty sure one of them would be for a day where time didn't actually move forward. Maybe then she'd actually be able to feel like she was doing more than treading water.

That wasn't quite true. On a good day she felt like she was treading water. On a bad one, she felt ready to let the water carry her away. 

"I will leave without you!" she called up the stairs, at her wayward niece and nephew. She wouldn't, and they knew that, but she couldn't help but say it. She grabbed her purse and her backpack and started for the door. "I'm walking to the door right now! I'll be there in five...four...three...two…"

Thunderous steps clattered down the stairs behind her. She turned, and gave the twins a once-over. Adherence to their school's uniform policy had been an issue lately, along with every other kind of misbehavior that two devious ten-year old minds could come up with. She honestly didn't know where they got it from. She and George would never have dreamt of behaving that way in school, they had been too afraid of their father to dare. Maybe Marina had had a wild streak that Pippa hadn't known about. 

Or maybe it was two grief stricken children acting out, which was the prevailing theory of their school counselor. Which reminded Pippa that she needed to find time to make them therapy appointments, and when she was going to find time to do that on top of everything else in her day, she had no idea. 

"Where are our lunches?" Amanda demanded, her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Pippa raised an eyebrow at her niece, and nodded towards the bench next to the door. "You're welcome."

Amanda had the grace enough to blush. "Thanks," she muttered.

Silently, Oliver picked up both lunch boxes, passing Amanda's to her. "Who's picking us up from school?"

Pippa winced on the inside, knowing that this was another way that she couldn't live up to Marina's stay-at-home-mom legacy. Marina had picked the kids up from school or practice every day and Pippa was lucky if she could do it once a week. Everything else was a cobbled together stack of cards that could fall over at any minute.

"You guys have swimming club after school and then you're going over to the Woodson's when that's over. I'll come over and grab you as soon as I get home. I shouldn't be later than five."

"So more like six?" Amanda asked, brattily.

Her niece wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean Pippa had to like it. "No television after dinner. Now get in the car, we're late."

Amanda glared at her but did what she was told, throwing the front door open and stomping down the front walk to Pippa's SUV. Oliver followed his sister down the path, both of them shutting themselves in the backseat.

Pippa looked up towards the ceiling, and prayed for patience. "Thanks a lot, George!"

She headed out of the house, locking the door behind her. More out of habit than any expectation, since she'd checked the mail the night before, she flipped open the metal box next to the door. There wasn't anything there. A pang of disappointment echoed in her chest anyway, just like every other time she'd done the same thing, ever since she sent Eloise Bridgerton that stupid letter. It had been too much to ask, she'd known it even as she was putting the stamp on it and sending it away. 

But she'd hoped. She should have known better. 

After all, the one true thing about her life was this: Pippa Crane didn't get what she wanted anymore. It was better not to wish for things at all. She just had to remember it.

***

Eloise was terrible at waiting. Her mother liked to say that Eloise had been that way since the day that she and Francesca were born, a full month early and in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. It was something she'd never outgrown, despite her mother's best efforts and years of report cards with comments that read something to the effect of "Eloise is very bright, but will not apply herself to learn the fundamentals…" She always just wanted to go. 

And so when the opportunity arose to sneak out of the city and head for Buffalo without anyone realizing, Eloise took it without thinking twice. She crept out of Anthony's house in Connecticut in the wee hours after the party and back into her own apartment in Brooklyn, certain that whatever it was that Penelope and Colin were doing (and she did not want to think about that too closely) would leave them distracted enough that she could pack a bag and get out of Dodge without them being any the wiser. She got in a cab and headed for JFK to catch the flight that she'd booked while lying in bed the night before.

It wasn't until she got to Buffalo that she really thought about what she'd just done. Pippa's invitation had wanted Eloise to come in June and it was still the beginning of May. Because no one was expecting her, there was no one waiting for her at the airport. Coming without warning had been ill advised, even Eloise could admit that to herself.

But if she'd waited, if she'd thought about what she was doing, she wasn't sure if she'd have come at all. 

Everything else was just details, and if there was one thing that Gloves Off Assistants was proof of, it was that Eloise Bridgerton was very good at the details. 

She rented a car for a week, figuring that gave her enough time to figure out if this was going to work and if it wasn't and she didn't last the week, she'd still gotten a great rate. She looked up the hotels that were closest to Pippa's home, just in case. And she found a florist where she could buy an "I'm sorry that I'm a month early, please still want me here" bouquet of flowers. 

Violet Bridgerton always said not to be the guest who showed up empty handed, and while Eloise happily ignored most of what her mother said, she thought this one was a good rule to follow. Especially under the circumstances.

Out of reasons to avoid actually going to see Pippa, Eloise finally drove to her address. At least it was a Saturday, so there was a chance that Pippa would be home. Eloise really hadn't thought the whole surprise element of this through. If it had been a weekday, she imagined that there was a decent chance that some neighbor would call the police about the car parked outside the Crane house all day that no one had ever seen before. 

She took a deep breath, and made herself open the car door. She grabbed her purse and the flowers, and walked up the little brick path to the front door. She knocked.

From inside, Eloise could hear what sounded like a stampede, and what she could only assume was Pippa's niece and nephew racing for the door. She'd been a ten-year old twin. She knew how that worked. 

The door opened, and it framed the two children Eloise had been expecting. "Hello," said the girl. "Who are you?"

The boy elbowed the girl in the side. "That's rude."

"Your face is rude," said the girl, not taking her eyes off Eloise. "I repeat, who are you?"

It was clear that she was trying to be intimidating, but Eloise had long since learned that the first rule of dealing with children was to never show fear. "I'm Eloise Bridgerton. I'm a friend of your aunt's. Could you let her know I'm here please?"

"A friend?" the girl repeated skeptically. She nodded towards the flowers in Eloise's hand. "Or a friend?"

Eloise blinked. She hadn't quite been expecting that line of attack-slash-questioning. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"She's our aunt," said the boy. "Don't get any funny ideas."

From out of sight, came a new voice. "Oliver, Amanda, who on earth are you two talking to--"

The voice trailed off as a woman came around the corner, a basket of laundry on her hip. She was tall, much taller than Eloise had imagined, with shoulder length curly hair that was such a dark brown it was almost black. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Eloise in the door, staring at her with shock in her brown eyes, like she knew exactly who Eloise was even though they'd never exchanged photographs or even instagram usernames. "Are you--"

"Yes," said Eloise, grateful to not have to explain. "I'm Eloise. And you must be Pippa."

***

That could not be Eloise Bridgerton standing on Pippa's front stoop, but somehow it was and Pippa had no idea what she was going to do about it. She wanted to turn around and run away. She wanted to shut the door in Eloise's face until she had more time to come up with a plan. She wanted to kiss the very pretty woman who had brought her flowers. She wanted to go back to bed and pretend none of this had ever happened.

But she was the adult in the house, and none of those things were going to happen. She looked down Oliver and Amanda, who were watching her suspiciously. "Ten bucks each if you guys go fold and put away these clothes."

She watched them do their silent twin communication thing, and then Oliver spoke. "Plus we get to stay up an extra hour to watch the playoffs."

"Deal," said Pippa, and she passed them the laundry basket. She waited until they'd gone around the corner where she fully expected them to stay, in hopes that they'd overhear something. She joined Eloise on the other side of the doorframe, closing it behind her. "Do you mind? Sorry, they can't be trusted."

"No, of course not," Eloise said, but Pippa could tell that she did a little. Eloise held out the flowers she still held. "These are for you. To apologize for just showing up like this. It seemed like a good idea while I was doing it, but I know it wasn't what you planned."

Pippa accepted the flowers, burying her nose in them. She couldn't remember the last time someone had bought her anything, let alone flowers. It was very thoughtful, even if Eloise had completely thrown her for a loop.

"I can leave," Eloise said quietly. "For good, for a month, whatever you need. Whatever you want."

"No," said Pippa, quickly. She might be totally discombobulated from Eloise's surprise appearance, but she knew she didn't want that and not just because the reason she'd invited Eloise for still existed. She'd...wondered when she sent that letter, wondered if the woman that had so easily become her pen pal, might possibly become something more. 

Pippa didn't hide the fact that she liked women from the kids, but her life also didn't really allow for her to pursue anything that wasn't raising them and going to school and work and occasionally sleeping and eating. She barely found time to skate anymore, and that had once been as essential to her as breathing. Once in a blue moon, when kind-hearted Posy Woodson decided that Pippa needed a night off, she'd go out to a bar and flirt with a girl, and once in a bluer moon, she'd go home with someone, but that wasn't dating. That wasn't a relationship. Eloise's letters had made her want more than that.

"I want you to stay," Pippa said finally. "I'm just not sure how any of this is going to work."

Eloise frowned. "Well, hadn't you thought about how you wanted it to work this summer? We can just...accelerate that schedule."

Pippa winced on the inside. Truth be told, she hadn't really worked out the details of her offer. "I thought we'd figure that out together."

"Oh," said Eloise. Her face took on an intense look of concentration, as if she were plotting some kind of future world domination on Pippa's front steps. 

Pippa thought she probably should have been scared, but in truth, she was perfectly content to spend that time looking at Eloise. She was so pretty, with her long brown hair and gray eyes. Pippa didn't think she was a shallow person exactly, but that didn't mean she wasn't also happy that she was as attracted to Eloise the person as she'd been to Eloise the letter writer. 

"How about this," Eloise said finally. "Let's call this a week long trial period, since that's how long I rented the car for. That should give us enough time to figure out if me playing live-in nanny is going to work for you and the kids. I'll take over school runs and errands, and we can figure out how to divide up household stuff like laundry and cooking. And if at the end of the week it's not working for either of us, we'll know that it won't work for an entire summer and that will be that."

"And if it does work?"

"Then I stay," Eloise said, like it was really that simple. She held out her hand. "Deal?"

Despite all the thoughts swirling through her mind, Pippa didn't hesitate. "Deal."

They shook hands on it.

***

Leaving Pippa on the front steps, Eloise went out to the car to retrieve her suitcase and her laptop bag. Hiding behind the open trunk, she took a minute to panic. 

She didn't know what she was doing. Sure, she was okay with kids, but it was clear that Oliver and Amanda were not on board with their aunt inviting someone else into their home. And hadn't she started her own business where every day was responding to a different crisis because she hated doing the same thing every day? She wasn't cut out to be a glorified housewife. And then there was Pippa herself.

She'd never had such an instantaneous attraction to someone in her life. She'd had a few boyfriends when she was a teenager and in college, but she'd mostly stopped dating while she was trying to grow her business. When she'd finally come up for oxygen, and started thinking about trying to get back into the whole dating world, she'd been completely dissatisfied with all the men that she met. None of them had been assholes, but there hadn't been any spark and it had made her wonder. She'd almost set her online dating profiles to looking for women a million times, but she'd always been too scared. And then she'd started writing to Pippa, and she hadn't been interested in dating anyone after that.

She shut the trunk. The panic attack about her sexuality would have to wait. Pippa was waiting and there were children to put in their place.

She headed up the driveway with her bags, and Pippa came down to help.

"You don't have to do that," Eloise protested. "I did get them through two airports all by myself."

"Pfft," said Pippa, and she grabbed the suitcase from Eloise's hand like it weighed nothing. It was surprisingly attractive. Her taste in men had always run to hipsters. Maybe that had been part of the problem.

They went into the house together, and Pippa showed Eloise to a guest room on the first floor. "I'm upstairs with the kids," she said. "It was weird to move into the master suite, but I didn't want to leave them alone up there."

"You're a good aunt," Eloise said, setting her briefcase down on the bed. 

Pippa blushed. "I'm sure that they would tell you different. And speaking of…" She stepped out of the room and into the hall that separated the guest room from the kitchen and dining room. "Oliver! Amanda! Family meeting in the kitchen!"

"Are they amenable to bribery?" Eloise asked, as they went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. 

"Sometimes," Pippa said. "Did you have something in mind?"

"I could order pizza for dinner?" Eloise offered. "It's the least I can do since I showed up and ruined whatever you had planned for this afternoon."

"Well, they'll like it anyway. I don't know if it will have any long term benefits, but we can certainly try."

"Try what?" asked Amanda, suspiciously. She and Oliver flopped down into the empty chairs, taking pains, Eloise noted, to stay as far away from her as was humanly possible around a round table. 

"We'll get to that," Pippa said. She fixed them with a very parental look. "Is the laundry done?"

"Yes," said Oliver. "Your stuff is on your bed."

"And if I were to go check your rooms, your clothes would be put away and not stacked on your floor or your bed or your chair or--"

"Yes," said Amanda. She held out her hand. "Ten dollars, please."

"After I check," Pippa said. Amanda gave her an outraged look, but Pippa just patted her on the head. "Trust but verify."

Amanda crossed her arms over her chest, looking completely disgruntled. "What is this about?"

"First, introductions," Pippa said. "Oliver, Amanda, this is my friend Eloise Bridgerton. She's a friend of mine. Eloise, these are my niece and nephew, Oliver and Amanda Crane."

Eloise gave them a small wave from across the table. "It's very nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about both of you."

"We haven't heard anything about you," said Oliver rudely. "So you can't be that good of a friend, can you?"

Pippa's jaw dropped. "Oliver! Apologize right now." She looked at Eloise. "They're usually not this obviously rude."

"Seven brothers and sisters," Eloise said. 

"I'm waiting," said Pippa.

"I'm sorry," Oliver muttered. He joined his sister in crossing his arms across his chest.

Pippa sighed. "I'm sure this could be going worse, but I'm not sure how." She fixed both of them with a look. "You will be polite to Eloise, do you hear me? She's our guest. And she's going to be doing us all an enormous favor."

She paused, clearly waiting for the kids to ask, but when they didn't, Pippa sighed again, and pressed on. "You both know that I'm going to be taking a big exam this summer to try to get a new certification. It's going to mean a lot of studying for me, and I won't have as much time to spend around the house or driving you guys around. I asked Eloise if she would consider coming up to help use out."

"What, like a housekeeper?" Amanda asked. "Or a baby-sitter?"

"Like a friend," said Pippa. "She's going to be here this week as a trial period and I expect you both to be on your best behavior."

Internally, Eloise groaned. She'd just guaranteed both kids would be complete monsters to try to drive her off. She had to say something before Pippa made it even worse.

"Pizza, anyone?" she asked.

***

Monday morning, Pippa woke at five am like normal. She changed into workout clothes and went downstairs to start the coffee before she went for her run, just like she did every day of the week. To her surprise, she found Eloise already up, her laptop open on the counter, and her face buried in her phone. 

"Hey," Pippa said. Eloise jumped a little on her stool, and Pippa smiled through a yawn. "You didn't have to get up quite so early, you know. The kids don't have to be to school until after eight and they refuse to get up before 6:45."

"I know," Eloise said. "But I had some work stuff to take care of--this isn't our busiest time of the year, but every time a team goes out of the playoffs, it's a lot of helping people pack up their houses or apartments, especially if contracts are up and they're not signing a new one. Just had a couple fires to put out."

"And you're a woman that likes fires, aren't you?" Pippa asked.

Eloise grinned, and Pippa's heart skipped a beat. She told herself to calm down. 

"I'll take that as a yes," she said. She jerked her thumb towards the front door. "I'm going to go for a run. This is historically the only time I get to myself and it helps clear my head for the rest of the day."

"Go," said Eloise, making a shooing motion with her hands. "We're all fine here. Have fun being one of those disgustingly healthy people that actually enjoys exercise."

Pippa went.

She took a longer route than normal, since she didn't have to worry about being back, and ready for work before it was time to make sure the kids were awake and out of bed. She told herself it was to work off all the extra calories she'd consumed since Eloise was trying to junk food her way into making Oliver and Amanda tolerate her, but really, Pippa just wanted to think.

She was fairly certain that introducing another person into your household was supposed to be strange, or even stressful. But aside from the moment when Eloise had arrived, on Pippa's end, the process had been as smooth as freshly polished ice. The kids were another matter, but Pippa was betting on Eloise there. 

It was all just so easy. They'd worked out menus for the week together, and then they'd gone grocery shopping, and she'd shown Eloise where the school was and some of the local spots where they liked to get food. They made dinner together, and watched the Rangers game and when Pippa had mentioned, casually, that Anthony Bridgerton was Eloise's brother and that Simon Basset was her brother-in-law, Pippa had seen the kids thaw just the smallest bit. Pippa imagined that when they put together that local hero Benedict Bridgerton was also Eloise's brother, the kids would run up the white flag, in exchange for autographs and a selfie or two. 

And now Eloise was making it possible for Pippa to get her run in without guilt, and there'd been coffee when she woke up, and Pippa wanted to know what the catch was. It had to be a big one. They always were.

Maybe she'd imagined the spark between them? Eloise had never said anything about being into girls in her letters, but then neither had Pippa. She could be straight. Or asexual. Pippa told the kids all the time that you couldn't ever make assumptions about people, and it was wrong for her to do it, just because she wanted Eloise so badly. 

Pippa groaned, and headed back towards the house. This had all been a terrible mistake, and she was setting herself up for a the disappointment of a lifetime. 

When she got back to the house, Oliver and Amanda were already dressed and sitting at the table with bowls of cereal in front of them. Eloise had put her computer away, but was still at the counter, sipping on her mug of coffee. 

Pippa looked down at her watch in alarm. "Crap. Was I gone that long?" She frowned down at it. "It's only 6:15. What are you two doing up?"

Eloise smiled. "Oliver? Amanda? Would you like to answer your aunt?"

Neither twin answered. Eloise smiled.

Pippa looked at her. "Do I need to apologize for something?"

Eloise shook her head. "We're fine. Negotiating boundaries is never without a few bumps and bruises along the way."

"Those better be metaphorical bruises," Pippa said, aiming a look at the kitchen table. "You hear me?"

Small nods were her only answer, but Pippa figured that was the best she was going to get. "Alright, well, I guess I am going to go get ready for work."

"Here," said Eloise, and she passed Pippa a mug of coffee. "I left it black, so if you want anything in it, you'll have to doctor it up yourself."

"Black is perfect," Pippa said, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling foolishly at Eloise. "Thank you."

"It's what I'm here for," Eloise said, and she smiled back.

Imagining things her ass, Pippa thought, as she went upstairs to shower. Maybe, just maybe, this was going to work after all. 

The Crane family was due for a break. She really hoped Eloise Bridgerton was it.

***

By Friday of the trial week, Eloise was starting to let herself believe that this was going to work. To start, she was figuring out a way to manage her own work while lifting burdens from Pippa's shoulders. She'd only gotten lost driving around Buffalo a few times, luckily only once while Oliver and Amanda had been there to mock her. The twins had tried (and failed) to prank her several times, but Eloise thought they might be getting tired of it. They certainly seemed happy to have someone there to play chauffeur for them, and to make sure that there was always dinner on the table exactly when they wanted. 

And as for Pippa… 

Eloise didn't think she'd ever wanted so badly to kiss someone in her entire life. Granted, she didn't have an enormous sample size to work with, but she'd had her share of crushes and she'd kissed more than a few frogs. But she didn't think she'd ever spent quite so much time staring at someone's mouth before, imagining how it would feel on hers. 

If she'd ever wanted confirmation that she probably, definitely wasn't straight, Eloise was seeing the big flashing neon light saying yes now. She liked women. Now she had to figure out how to tell _this_ woman.

But first--coffee.

Eloise tied her robe over her sleep shorts and tank, since it was still freakishly cold in Buffalo for May. She'd had to make an emergency trip to the store for that, because she hadn't seen a reason to bring one with. She opened her bedroom door carefully--the twins had already tried to dump a bag of flour on her head, and while she didn't think they'd try the same prank twice, she wasn't foolish enough to rule it out either. She went across the hall to the kitchen, still thinking about Pippa and kisses.

She didn't notice that the stools from the breakfast bar were out of place. Or that a string had been tied between them. Not until it was too late.

There wasn't time for Eloise to try to brace herself as she fell, and she hit the ground with a thud. Pain radiated out from her hip and side, and her wrist was bent under her awkwardly. She tried to push herself up to sitting, but whimpered when she put too much weight on her wrist. There was a reason she hadn't played hockey. She wasn't too proud to admit that she hated pain unlike her idiot brothers, and everything hurt now. 

"Why don't I smell coffee?" Pippa's voice demanded, as she came around the corner into the kitchen, still dressed in her running clothes. When she spotted Eloise on the floor, leaning back against the kitchen cabinets, Pippa dropped to her knees beside her. "What hurts?"

"My pride," Eloise said.

Pippa gave her a look, and moved Eloise's hand from where it was covering up her side. She touched it lightly, and Eloise yelped.

"Okay, maybe my side and hip. My wrist. But I'm _fine_."

Pippa took Eloise's bad hand in hers and gently started to manipulate the wrist back and forth, testing the joint. Eloise winced, and bit her lip.

"Well, you're not yelling so you didn't break anything. What happened?"

Eloise hesitated. If Pippa hadn't noticed the very obvious mess of stools and string and drawn the logical conclusion, she didn't want to bring her wrath down on the twins, who she didn't think had actually wanted to hurt her. They weren't sociopaths after all, and Eloise could fight her own battles. But she had gotten hurt. And they probably deserved to be punished for that. 

But she waited too long to make up a lie, and Pippa did notice the evidence in question. She got to her feet. "Did they--Of course they--Going to murder--OLIVER! AMANDA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!!!"

"It's really okay," Eloise said, trying to deflect. "Seven brothers and sisters. I've had worse."

Pippa stalked over to the freezer and grabbed a bag of peas, and then to one of the drawers and pulled out a towel. She wrapped them and knelt down next to Pippa, to help her arrange them over her wrist. "I hear you," she said, while she was fussing. "But I'm so angry right now that I can't actually hear you. They have to be punished for this. You could have hit your head on the counter, and split it open and been in a pool of blood when I found you. You could have gotten a concussion. This isn't okay."

She stood back up, as the twins appeared in the doorway. Eloise saw both of their eyes go wide, and it was what she needed to be sure that they hadn't meant to cause her any actual injury. 

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Pippa demanded. She held up a hand. "Wait. I don't care what you have to say. That the two of you would set out to harm someone who is a _guest_ in our home makes me so deeply ashamed of you that there aren't any words that can make up for it. Apologize to Eloise. Immediately."

There were tears in Amanda's eyes by the time that Pippa finished. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean--"

"Oliver," said Pippa, cutting her niece off. 

He was still in defiance mode, which Eloise respected. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Oliver Philip Crane!" 

"I'm sorry," he said to Eloise. He glared at his aunt. "Happy now?"

"Nothing about this makes me happy, Oliver," Pippa said shortly. "Now. What do you think you two are going to do to make this up to Eloise?"

Both twins looked at Pippa blankly. "Aren't you going to punish us?" Amanda asked. 

"I am," said Pippa. "Coming up with your own punishment is part of it."

Eloise did not let herself smile, but she appreciated the diabolical nature of the punishment. Finding the line between how much remorse they felt--almost none, Eloise was sure--vs what their aunt thought they should feel, was going to be a nice little bit of mental torture. It was no less than they deserved, but Eloise also didn't want to make them hate her more than they already seemed to.

"Ahem," she said.

Three sets of eyes swiveled in her direction. 

"As the injured party, perhaps I could have a say here?"

Pippa looked like she wanted to protest for a minute, but eventually she nodded. "That's fair. What did you have in mind?"

"An afternoon," Eloise said. 

They all frowned, and it was actually sort of adorable how their expressions matched so well. "I don't understand," said Pippa. "You want to spend an afternoon with these monsters?"

Eloise shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe I want to watch them clean their bedrooms without a word of protest. Or I want to make them wash my car. Or I could want to take them skating. It will all depend on how I feel that day."

"I like it," said Pippa. She looked at Oliver and Amanda. "Fair?"

Two mutinous nods. 

"Good. Now you can go get ready for school, since we're all up bright and early this morning."

The twins went. Pippa sat down next to Eloise on the floor. Their heads touched, rested against the other. They sat there, silent together, until Eloise could almost feel the tension drain out of Pippa. 

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Pippa said finally. 

"I know," Eloise said. "I didn't want you to do anything you would regret. They're not bad kids, Pippa. They did a shitty thing, but they're just a little messed up. It sucks losing a parent when you're a kid. I can't imagine losing two."

"I know. I just--they made me so mad. All I could see was red."

"If they've only made you see red once in the last three years, I'd have to say you're doing pretty well." Eloise nudged her with her shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Pippa snorted. "Easier said than done." She straightened, getting to her feet again. "Were you going to spend the day there, or can I interest you in a helping hand?"

"Funny," said Eloise. She gave Pippa her good hand and together, they got Eloise to her feet. She set the makeshift ice pack on the counter. "I think you said something about coffee when this first started?"

"Go sit down at the table," Pippa said, scooting the stools back under the breakfast bar. "I think I can get it for you this morning."

Eloise watched her bustle around the kitchen, starting the coffee and getting down mugs. Pippa stared with intense concentration at the coffee maker, like it would make it brew faster. Once it was finally ready, she brought a mug over and set it down in front of Eloise.

"I better go get ready myself," Pippa said. "And make sure the monsters haven't gone out the window or something. But first--" She bent down low, and kissed Eloise's cheek. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you, Eloise Bridgerton."

She was gone before Eloise could respond.

***

Another week went by, then two, and then three. Eloise kept putting off reasons to go to New York to get more of her things, and every time, Pippa was secretly grateful because she was afraid that Eloise wouldn't come back. Pippa liked Buffalo, but she was well aware it wasn't New York and she knew that Eloise had a life there. But for whatever reason, Eloise seemed happy enough to keep wearing and rewearing the same clothes, and to keep extending the period on her rental car.

It made Pippa so happy, and she didn't know what to do with those feelings. It had been so long since she'd had them. So they kept going with the routine they'd established that first week, and it was good.

But finally, even she'd had enough of Eloise wearing the same seven shirts in the exact same sequence. It was a Saturday, and the two of them, plus the kids, were sitting around the kitchen table eating a breakfast that Eloise had helped Oliver and Amanda make.

"We should go to the mall," Pippa said.

Each of the other occupants of the table had a different reaction. Amanda looked delighted. Oliver, disgusted. And Eloise, she was nodding her head in agreement.

"I hate shopping," she said. "But I think I hate this shirt more at this point. We don't all have to go, though. I could just run out and grab a few things."

Amanda's face fell. "But I need to get new pajamas for Molly's slumber party! And none of my old shorts fit me and it's almost summer. Please, can't I come?"

"Hm," said Pippa. She looked at Oliver. "If none of your sister's summer clothes fit, none of yours are going to either, buddy. Sorry, but I think you'll have to come too."

Oliver slumped in his chair. "Gross."

"You know," said Eloise casually. "I could always call my brother Benedict and see if we could drop by the house this afternoon so that you could meet him. That is, if we're going out to the suburbs anyway. I bet he'd have some pucks or hockey sticks somewhere in his house that a really well behaved boy or girl could get signed. If that's something that you'd be interested in, of course."

Pippa bit her lip to keep from laughing at just how quickly Oliver's expression changed. He went from slumped over, sulking, to sitting up straight with an eager look on his face in approximately one second. "So we're all agreed on the mall, then?" 

Nods all the way around the table.

Pippa stood, picking up her plate. "Well, then since I'm the only one who didn't cook, I guess I'd better start cleaning up the kitchen while the two of you go and get ready and Eloise calls her brother."

The twins stared, just for a second, and then they raced out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Pippa went over to the sink to start the water for dishes, while Eloise finished stacking up the plates and glasses from the kitchen table.

"I meant what I said about cleaning up," Pippa said, when Eloise put her stack down on the counter.

"Oh, I know you did," Eloise said cheerfully. "And I'm not going to look gift dishes in the mouth. But I can at least clear the table for you." Task finished, she sat down on one of the stools at the counter. "And now I can text my sister-in-law to see if we can come over. I'd try Benedict, but it's the off-season and he's a hermit if he can be. I bet his phone isn't even on."

"That was very nice of you to offer to let the kids meet him," Pippa said, as she washed the dishes. "You didn't have to."

Eloise shrugged. "I've been saving that for a special occasion and/or bribe. This seemed to fit. Besides, if I don't show proof of life to someone soon, my mother is likely to send out a search party. Benedict is the lesser of many evils."

"I thought you liked your siblings," Pippa said. "And your mother, for that matter."

"Oh, I do," Eloise said. "It's just that--did I ever mention how badly my mother wants me and all of my siblings married and having babies?"

Pippa stared. Of all the things that she'd ever imagined Eloise saying just then, that was not even in the vicinity of the list. "No," she said slowly. "I don't think so."

"I try to avoid thinking about it," Eloise said frankly. "But my four oldest siblings have all coupled themselves off now--Colin just before I left--which means that in my mother's eyes, I'm next."

"And--" Pippa started to say, but Eloise's phone started to ring.

"One second," Eloise promised, holding up her finger to hold Pippa off. "Hey Soph." She listened to whatever was being said on the other end of the line. "Really? That would be so great. Their names are Oliver and Amanda." Another pause. "They'll lose their minds. Thanks, Soph. Tell Benedict I owe him one." The other person said something else, and Eloise laughed. "I think some pre-baby baby-sitting can be arranged. Alright, I'll see you guys this afternoon. Bye."

Eloise sat her phone down on the counter and smiled at Pippa. "We're all set. Sophie's going to make sure the kids come back loaded down with merch."

"That's great," said Pippa, who was still stuck on Eloise's mother wanting her married and Eloise hiding from her family. Did that mean she'd been reading all the signs between them wrong after all? Maybe the reason that Eloise wasn't going back to New York was that she was ashamed to tell her family what she was doing with Pippa in Buffalo. But then why would she be taking them to meet any part of her family?

"Pip?" Eloise asked. She was looking at Pippa with concern, and Pippa wondered just how much of what she'd been thinking had shown on her face. 

She made herself smile. "You should go get ready yourself. I'm sure now that they know there's a light at the end of the shopping tunnel, they'll be demanding we leave any minute now."

"Okay," said Eloise slowly. "If you're sure."

It wasn't okay. Pippa was going to have to put on her big girl pants and figure out how to ask Eloise exactly what was happening between them, but that would have to wait for when there weren't two ten-year-olds eager to shop and then meet the local hockey hero. "Yep. I'll go up in a minute myself." She made a shooing motion with her bubble-covered hands. "Go on."

Eloise went, and Pippa finished the dishes. The sooner she finished, the sooner they could go shopping, the sooner they could get go meet Eloise's brother, and the sooner she could make the twins go to bed so that she and Eloise could be alone.

And when they were only, they were going to talk. Whether or not either of them was ready for it.

***

"Eloise Bridgerton, you have some explaining to do," said Sophie Beckett-Bridgerton, as she dropped into the chair next to Eloise's. She'd been putting Charlie down for a nap, while Eloise watched everyone else play a two-on-two version of street hockey from the front porch of Benedict and Sophie's farmhouse. 

"Hm?" Eloise said. She wasn't really listening, she was too focused on the sight in front of her. She hadn't ever seen Pippa look as happy as she did while playing hockey with the kids, and Eloise wondered just how much hurt Pippa was burying every day at not being able to do the thing she so clearly loved. Pippa never talked about it. Eloise thought maybe she should make her. But that was for later. She made herself look at Sophie. "What was that?"

"I've never seen you look at someone like you look at her, you know," Sophie said. 

"You've never seen me date someone at all," Eloise pointed out, taking a drink of water. She had a very good sense of where Sophie was going with this, and she wasn't sure she was comfortable with it.

But Sophie wasn't going to be deterred. "How did you two meet?"

Eloise didn't let herself relax. She knew Sophie well enough to know that Sophie was attempting to lure her into a false sense of security. "Her brother was married to a distant Bridgerton cousin, and I wrote her a condolence letter when George and Marina died. We started writing to each other, and well. Here we are."

"In Buffalo. Playing house." Sophie took her own drink, and tried and failed to look innocent. "Are you two--you know?"

"Has anyone told you that you've become very nosy?" 

Sophie nodded. "If you lived with Benedict, you'd be that way too. Getting the simplest information out of that man is like pulling teeth, I swear. And I know a dodge when I see one."

Eloise blew out a breath. She wasn't sure Sophie would have been her first choice of a person to talk to, but she was here, and Eloise thought she might explode if she didn't talk to someone. 

"We're not--you know," she said. 

"But you want to."

"I think so? I don't know. I've never felt like this before."

"With a woman?" Sophie asked gently. "I didn't know you were--"

"Not straight?" supplied Eloise. She shrugged, trying to act more nonchalant than she felt. "Neither did I. But here we are anyway."

"Is this why you've been hiding in Buffalo, barely talking to your mother or even to Penelope? She was very hurt that you ran off without talking to her, you know."

Eloise felt almost like Sophie had slapped her. She'd honestly thought that Penelope and Colin would be too tied up in each other to really notice her one way or another. "I'll call her," she promised. "Soon."

"Do," said Sophie. "And don't think I didn't notice you dodging the rest of what I said."

"It's not not why I've been hiding," Eloise said, hedging. She sighed. "I just wanted to take a minute to myself to figure out exactly what I was feeling for Pippa. I don't have any experience with wanting a woman. I wanted to know if it was all in my head."

"And have you figured it out?" asked Pippa.

Eloise's heart clutched in her chest, and she lost her breath. Slowly, she turned her head to find Pippa standing at the foot of the porch stairs, staring up at Eloise with a guarded expression on her face. 

"I think I'll go play hockey," said Sophie, and she went down the stairs, taking the stick that was still in Pippa's hand from her without Pippa saying a word.

"I--I--" the words caught in Eloise's face, and Pippa's face fell. She turned away, stalking off on the gravel path to the back of the house, not waiting for Eloise to finish.

Eloise's jaw dropped. Of all the reactions to what Pippa had overheard, to what Eloise hadn't said, she hadn't expected her to just _leave_. That wasn't going to work at all.

She took off on the same path, waving off the thumbs-up Sophie was shooting her from the driveway. There was a very real chance that Eloise had messed things up before they'd even had a chance to begin. This wasn't a good thing. Nothing about this was good.

"Pippa!" she yelled, trying to make up ground on Pippa's much longer legs. "Pippa, wait!"

Out of nowhere, Pippa stopped in her tracks and spun around. Eloise couldn't stop in time, and ran straight into her, her hands going to Pippa's waist to steady herself.

"Just how fast were you on the ice?" Eloise demanded, trying to catch her breath. "My god."

"Is that what you came after me to say?" Pippa asked, not smiling. 

"No," said Eloise. She didn't let go of Pippa, even though she was steady on her legs now. She moved closer, noting Pippa's sharp intake of breath. "You didn't give me a chance to finish."

"It didn't seem like you were going to say anything I wanted to hear," Pippa said. She looked at down at Eloise. "Was I wrong?"

"It's funny," Eloise said. "I'm never at a loss for words, you can ask anyone who knows me. But this--this feels too important for that."

Pippa shook her head. "I don't understand, what are you--"

Eloise raised her hand, and curved it around Pippa's neck. For just a moment, there was a gratifying look of shock in Pippa's eyes, and then Eloise kissed her and she wasn't seeing or thinking about anything else.

***

They were kissing. 

They. Were. Kissing.

Pippa didn't know how to process any other information. After three years of letters, and three weeks of in person flirting, and so many days and nights spent wondering about what this would be like with this person, it was happening and she couldn't think.

But if she couldn't think, she could feel. Feel how soft Eloise's lips were against hers. Taste the mint of her lip gloss and the iced tea they'd shared at lunch. One of Eloise's hands was tangled in Pippa's curly ponytail, the other at the small of her back, urging her closer. Pippa's hands went to Eloise's hips, shaping the curve of them, holding on as tight as she could so that Eloise would never let her go.

Somehow, Pippa didn't know, her back ended up against the wall. She slid down against it, so that they were more evenly matched for height, and Eloise took advantage, just like they'd done this a hundred times before. She pressed her mouth to Pippa's neck, trailing kisses from jaw to the collar of her shirt.

Pippa moaned, her hands sinking into Eloise's braided hair. She didn't know how Eloise had realized that her neck was incredibly sensitive, but she was going to be damn well grateful for it while it lasted. 

But wait. They'd been fighting. About something important. Was this Eloise's answer? Was this making up? Pippa liked the kissing very much, she was pro-kissing, but this was too important to be that simple. Wasn't it?

"Wait," she said.

Eloise stopped. She leaned back, just enough for Pippa to see the frozen expression on her face, and Pippa hated herself for having said anything. It was too late to take it back.

"Have you done this before?" Pippa asked.

"Kissed someone?" Eloise asked, with a little too much bravado. "You stopped to ask me that?"

"A woman," Pippa said softly. "I'm guessing that was my answer."

Eloise sighed, and stepped all the way back. "No. I have never kissed a woman before. Did I do it wrong or something? You seemed like you liked it."

Somehow, Pippa hadn't realized she could dent Eloise's confidence like that. Never in a million years would she have done it on purpose. "I liked it very much. I would very much like to kiss you again, Eloise Bridgerton. Possibly for the rest of our lives. Does that scare you?"

Eloise shook her head. "No. It doesn't." She took the tiniest step forward. "Does that scare _you_?"

"Yes," said Pippa frankly. "My life is a mess, Eloise. You know that. It's why I invited you here. And it's not just my life, it's Oliver and Amanda, and I can't take any risks with someone walking in and out of their lives. They've lost too much."

"What about what you lost?" Eloise demanded. "You're not going to stand there and tell me you wouldn't rather still be playing hockey? You lost your brother, and the kids lost their parents, and you lost your career."

Pippa shook her head. "I did, but I didn't. I was always going to need to do this, Eloise. Hockey careers don't last forever, especially for women. I had to grow up sometime. I wish it hadn't been like this, I'd never have wished for this, but I've honestly made my peace with it."

"Really?" Eloise asked. "If there was someone here, someone to help you carry the load, and the Beauts wanted you back, you wouldn't jump at the chance?"

Pippa hesitated. It was a fair question, and one she'd thought about a lot. It wasn't like she spent no time around the team. After the accident, they'd brought her on to help with PT for the team. She'd appreciated the gesture, but it had been too painful then. Once a year, they called to renew the offer and she'd never felt like she could take them up on it. She was afraid it would hurt too much. But now, she thought maybe with Eloise at her side, she could do it. If she hadn't messed things up with Eloise.

"I don't think so," Pippa said slowly. "I miss hockey. I will always miss hockey. But I really do think that I'm past it. If the CWHL lasts long enough to have alumni games or something, sure, I'd love to. But I'm okay being on the sidelines now." She reached her hand out for Eloise's, lacing their fingers together. "It'd be awfully nice to have someone by my side, though. Do you know anyone who might be interested in the position?"

"That depends," said Eloise.

Pippa really hoped it was something she could give her. So much of her life was non-negotiable for the next eight years at least, and her life wasn't the one that Eloise had left behind in New York. "On?"

Eloise wrinkled up her nose. "Do I really have to keep pretending I like hockey? I've had to for my entire life because boys egos must be protected, but honestly, I can--"

"Just like me," said Pippa, taking Eloise's face in her hands. "Please."

"I can do that," whispered Eloise.

This time Pippa kissed her.

***

_Three years later…_

Eloise Bridgerton had never been one of those girls who spent a lot of time imagining what their wedding day might be like, but now that it was hers, she wanted everything to be perfect. 

"Are you sure that it's not going to rain?" she asked, craning her neck towards the window. "I think it's going to rain."

She was yanked back into place by Hyacinth, who was styling her hair. "Stop. Moving."

"But--"

Violet Bridgerton set her hand on Eloise's shoulder. "The sky is blue. The sun is shining. I promise it's going to be fine."

Eloise tried to smile at her mother. "I'm being ridiculous."

In unison, all of her sisters said, "Yes."

Eloise sniffed. "This is why Penelope is my favorite." She scanned the room, careful not to move her head for fear of Hyacinth doing something more physical than yanking her by her shoulders. She really didn't want to have unexplained bruises on her wedding night. "Where did she go anyway?"

"Aggie woke up while Francesca was doing your makeup," said Violet. "Penelope went to feed and change her before the wedding. She should be back soon."

As if on cue, the door to Eloise's temporary bridal suite opened, and Penelope came in, carrying her baby daughter. "See? I told you we were going to see Aunt Eloise. Doesn't she look pretty?"

Eloise held out her arms. "Give."

Penelope laughed and stayed on the other side of the room. "Yes, let's give a squirmy baby to the woman with a curling iron to her head and who will soon be dressed in white. That makes all the sense in the world."

"You used to be nicer," Eloise said, with a deliberate pout, designed to make the rest of her nieces, who were watching the scene with fascination, laugh. 

"I used to let you think so," Penelope said. She smiled at Daphne's daughters. "Do you want to hold your cousin, girls?"

Nods all the way around, and Penelope and Daphne worked together to settle all the girls on the bed and to take turns with Aggie. Meanwhile, Hyacinth set her curling iron down on the improvised vanity table in Sophie and Benedict's guest bedroom and surveyed her work in the mirror.

"I think that's the best I can do," she said critically. "I wish you'd let us call a hairdresser for you. It's your wedding day!"

"We wanted our family," said Eloise simply. She lifted her hand to her head, but didn't touch. Hyacinth had put her hair in a loose fishtail braid, with small flowers tucked in and pieces curling freely around her face. Coupled with Francesca's makeup job, Eloise wasn't sure she recognized herself. "Is that really me?"

Francesca joined her in the mirror, their near identical faces almost pressed together. "You look so beautiful, Eloise."

"Let me look," said Violet, abandoning her granddaughters for the first time in her life to see. 

Eloise turned in her chair so that she was looking at her mother. 

Violet's hand went to her mouth. "Oh. You're perfect." She looked at all her daughters, and it was obvious she was on the verge of tears. "Isn't she perfect?"

"Don't cry!" ordered Eloise. "I forbid you to cry."

"But--" said Violet, and Daphne pushed kleenex into her hand.

"You should be celebrating," said Eloise, somewhat desperately. She was nearly certain that if her mother started crying, she'd follow behind. And she really didn't want to let Francesca near her with a mascara wand again. "Another daughter married! It's one of your Jane Austen fantasies come to life!"

Hyacinth snickered. 

"Time for the dress?" said Penelope mildly, from her spot on the bed. 

Violet pointed her finger at her youngest daughter. "I'm not forgetting that you laughed at me. Go get your sister's dress."

They all helped Eloise into her dress. Like everything else, it was simple. She'd chosen a column of ivory silk with cap sleeves and a square neckline. It suited her perfectly. 

"Something old?" asked Hyacinth.

Eloise touched her hair. The clip she'd asked Hyacinth to put in it had been a vintage one, a gift from Pippa for their first anniversary. 

"Something new?" asked Daphne.

"The dress," said Violet. She pressed something into Pippa's hand. "I'd like this to be your something borrowed. I lent it to each of your sisters for their wedding days."

Eloise opened her hand, and in it was her mother's engagement ring. "Mom."

Violet took the ring back and slipped it onto Eloise's right ring finger. "It would have made your father very happy to be able to share this day with you. This way he's still a small part of it with you."

Eloise looked down at her hand, and then back up at her mother. "I'm going to cry."

"You're certainly not," said Violet briskly. "You're the one that banned tears after all. Now. Something blue?"

There was a knock on the door and Francesca went to answer it. After a short, muffled conversation, she came back with a small velvet jewelry box in her hand. "A gift for the bride from the bride."

Eloise took the box from her sister and opened the lid. At the sight of the sapphire drop earrings inside, she started to laugh. 

Hyacinth looked over her shoulder, and whistled. "Pippa's got good taste. I don't get what's so funny."

"I left a gift for Pippa with Sophie," Eloise said. "We were obviously thinking along the same lines." She slid the earrings into her ears and turned to face her assembled crowd. "Well?"

"You look so beautiful," said Violet, and she stepped forward to embrace her. "I'm so proud of you, Eloise."

"For being beautiful?"

"For finding your happiness," said Violet. 

Eloise looked at her mother, surprised. It was the closest Violet had ever come to making an explicit statement about her loving another woman. It was never that Eloise had expected it to matter to her mother, but when she'd brought Pippa and the kids home with her, her mother had simply folded them into the family without a question. They'd never talked about it. And after three years, she hadn't expected it to come up on her wedding day. "Mom."

"I worried about you," Violet said, ignoring her. "You weren't as happy as you pretended and I knew it, but I didn't know what I could do. And then you went and solved the problem yourself, just like you've always done. You're such a clever girl, Eloise. You and Pippa are going to be so happy together, and I'm just so proud of you for being brave and taking that risk." She stepped back, squeezing Eloise's hand. "I love you, sweetheart."

Eloise tried very hard to blink back tears. "Mom. I love you too." She looked at her sisters and nieces and best friend, who were all watching the scene between the two of them with varying degrees of discretion. "And I love you all too. I guess."

"Group hug!" said Hyacinth.

Before Eloise could protest, she was surrounded. For a moment, it was wonderful. And then-- "Bride! Can't breathe!"

Once they were all clear, a flurry of last minute wedding prep began. Penelope passed her daughter to Violet, who was going to hold her during the ceremony while Penelope was one of Eloise's attendants. Daphne began to straighten the sashes on her daughter's flower girl dresses. Hyacinth fixed Eloise's skirt. 

Finally, it was time for the last touch. Francesca handed Eloise her bouquet of roses. "Let's go get you married."

Eloise beamed, and linked her arm through her sister's. "I can't wait."

***

In the master bedroom, Pippa had gone through her own bridal rituals with her new sisters-in-law and niece and nephew for company. Kate had asked Pippa if they could include her sister Edwina, as Edwina's skills at hair and makeup far exceeded either Kate's or Sophie's, and Pippa had happily agreed. 

Looking in the mirror, Pippa couldn't believe the results. Somehow, Edwina had managed to tame her curly hair until it was tucked up in an elegant chignon. It matched the dress that she'd surprised herself by choosing, for it was far fancier than anything she'd imagined. But she'd been drawn to the off the shoulder, white lace, mermaid style gown and Kate and Sophie had instantly agreed that it was the one when they'd shopped together. 

In the mirror, she looked at Oliver and Amanda. "Well? What do you think?"

"You look _beautiful_ ," Amanda whispered reverently. 

Oliver shuffled his feet. "You're okay, I guess."

Pippa laughed. From a thirteen year old boy, it was the highest of praise. She turned to look at Kate, Sophie, and Edwina. "Thank you. For everything. You've made this so special for me."

"It was our pleasure," said Kate, leaning in to kiss Pippa's cheek. "We're so happy you're joining our family."

"What Kate said," echoed Sophie. She paused, considered Pippa. "You know, you're just about perfect. Maybe this would be the finishing touch." From behind her back, she produced a long, slim jewelry box. 

She passed it to Pippa, and Pippa opened it with slightly trembling hands. In it was a delicate gold bracelet with a sapphire clasp. Somehow, without ever having seen her dress, Eloise had picked out something perfect. But that was Eloise. Pippa was very glad they were getting married. 

She held out the box to Amanda. "Help me?"

Her niece's eyes lit up, and carefully she removed the bracelet from the box and fastened it around Pippa's wrist. "It's so pretty!"

"Your aunt-to-be has good taste," said Edwina, who was waiting at the door. She checked the watch on her wrist. "Now, I think we're ready for the main event."

Kate handed Pippa her bouquet, and together, they all headed down the stairs. Sophie and Kate kissed her, and then went to join their husbands and the rest of the assembled guests. Edwina stayed back, because she was going to help direct everyone to the altar. Their wedding photographer joined them then, as they'd requested shots of Eloise and Pippa seeing each other for the first time and they were going to walk each other down the aisle. 

More people flooded down the stairs, first Daphne's daughters and Daphne herself, then Hyacinth and Violet Bridgerton, who paused only to kiss Pippa and then disappeared out into the yard with the rest of the guests. Then came Penelope and Francesca, who were both standing up for Eloise. 

And then there was Eloise. 

Pippa's heart caught in her chest when she saw her bride-to-be. She was so beautiful. And she was Pippa's. She didn't know what she'd done to deserve this overwhelming happiness, but she swore to herself, that she was never going to take it for granted. 

Eloise reached the bottom of the stairs, and held out her hand. Pippa took it, and leaned in--

"None of that!" said Edwina. "You'll have plenty of time for kissing once you've said your I do's." She smiled down at Amelia, Belinda, and Caroline. "Are you girls ready to go scatter your flower petals? Just like we practiced."

Daphne helped get her daughters into order, Amelia and Belinda on either side of Caroline. She started them down the aisle, and blew Pippa and Eloise a kiss before darting out to join everyone else. 

Francesca and Penelope paired off with Oliver and Amanda, and they all started their own walks down the aisle. At the altar, one pair went left, and the other right, their attendants mixed together the way their lives were. 

And finally, it was their turn. 

Pippa looked at Eloise. Eloise looked at Pippa.

"Ready?" Pippa asked. 

"Always," said Eloise. 

Hand in hand, they walked down the aisle and got married.

***

Later that night, after the wedding and after the dinner and the first dance and more toasts than Eloise could count, she sat down next to her twin. Something had been off with Francesca all day, and wedding day or not, it was Eloise's job as the older sister to figure out what it was.

"Frannie."

Francesca jumped. "You scared me!" 

Under the table, Eloise could see Francesca trying to sneak her phone back into her purse. Eloise solved that problem by grabbing both of them from her and setting them on the table. "Should I not have asked you to be one of my maids of honor? I thought it would be okay given the number of weddings we've had over the past few years, but was it too hard?"

"No," said Francesca firmly. She put her hand over Eloise's. "Yes, I always think about John when we have one of these occasions. But they're good memories. And I would have been pissed if you'd left me out."

"That's what I thought," said Eloise. "Then what's going on?"

Francesca sighed. "It's your wedding day. Couldn't you not be the most observant person in the world for one day of your life?"

"Nope. Spill."

"I'm sure the mothers didn't mean for me to see this today," Francesca started. "I'm sure that they think that I'm a nice normal person who can leave her company email alone for the entirety of her sister's wedding day."

Eloise snorted. "Not likely. What did they do?"

Francesca reached across Eloise and picked up her phone. She unlocked it and passed it to Eloise. "See for yourself."

Eloise skimmed the email. Francesca's mother and aunt-in-law were announcing a reorganization of the sports empire that they controlled. Francesca would be stepping in for Janet Stirling, in the spot where her late husband, John Stirling, had been meant to stand. And for Helen Stirling…

Eloise blinked, and looked at Francesca. "Michael's coming home?"

Francesca nodded tightly. 

Michael had been John's cousin, and they'd been close as brother's. Eloise knew how much Francesca had needed him in those awful days after John's unexpected death, but Michael had left for Europe almost immediately after the funeral. He'd said it was too hard to stay and to be expected to be John. Eloise couldn't blame him for that, but she knew Francesca didn't agree. And now he was coming back.

"You didn't know?" asked Eloise.

"Janet and Helen did not see fit to inform me of their plans," Francesca said stiffly. She shook her head, and rose to her feet. "I hate to do this, Eloise. But I have to go. I can't let him get back to Ottawa and not be there."

"I understand," Eloise said. She stood, and gave her sister a hug. "Just promise me something."

"If I can," said Francesca warily.

"Give him a chance," said Eloise. "For my sake, if not your own."

Francesca looked like she wanted to protest, but finally, she nodded. She hugged Eloise again. "Be happy," she whispered in her ear. 

And then she was gone. Eloise saw her stop to kiss Pippa, but then she beelined for the house, Eloise presumed to change and call an Uber. She was sure that Francesca had booked her flight back to Ottawa hours ago.

"What was that about?" asked Pippa, as she wrapped her arms around Eloise from behind.

"Rich people drama," Eloise answered. "Not worth thinking about tonight." She twisted around in Pippa's arms, so that they could kiss. "Are you happy?"

"The happiest," said Pippa. 

They kissed again, there in the setting sun, with their friends and family all around them. Eloise had never really believed in happily-ever-afters, but in this exact moment, she knew that this was what all the fairy tales had meant.

Only this was better than a fairy tale. Because this was hers. And this was real.


End file.
